If you buy a great camera, you can program settings to read the light and get proper exposure. You can tell it that you are shooting sports, and your camera will make the proper adjustments. You can even tell your camera that you are shooting in fluorescent lighting, and it will correct the color temperature. But here’s what it cannot and will not do -- get good composition.

There’s no way to cheat for composition. There’s no automatic setting that will arrange the elements of your photograph to make them impactful. Either you take the time to get it right, or it won’t happen.

Over the next 21 weeks, let’s take a fun approach to improving one of the fundamentals of photography, composition. The PhotoCoach Pro Composition Challenge will provide free weekly tutorials and a challenge for you to practice that week’s principle.

When you shoot the photo in the challenge, just tag it #composition21 in any of your online photography sites or share your link in the comments.

Signing up for the challenge is the best way to participate. It only requires your email address and name.

Here’s what you get delivered to your inbox:

A systematic approach to master the many facets of composition

Weekly tutorials (Both written and audio) to help you understand and practice the principles that improve your photographs.

Assignments for you to shoot & share. (See how others interpreted the story. Get feedback on your own photos.)

Sign up now for the 21-Week Composition Challenge. Follow along weekly or work the challenge at your own pace.

Look out for the first challenge: Hero & Villains

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Enter your email address to join the Composition Challenge or update your profile to be included.